Hemmer attachment for sewing machines



J. E. ACKERMAN 2,034,672

HEMMER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 17, 1936. J ACKERMAN I 22,034,672

HEMMER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 James E Jake/man,

parts of the modified hemmer.

Patented Mar. 17, 1936 4D STATES PATEN QFF! HEMIMER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Application January 2, 1935, Serial No. 15

s '7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in hemmer attachments for sewing machines and has for its primary object to provide means whereby a body material margin may be folded and secured by stitches to produce a bead-like finish presenting the appearance of 2. rolled edge. Another object of the invention is to provide a scrolltype hemmer having a constricted delivery-end with improved means for handling work having cross-seams or the like.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the hemmer improvements described in con--' nection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate two embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front end elevation of a portion of a sewing machine, with the improved hemmer in one of its embodiments mounted upon the cloth-plate. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, with the presser-bar and presser-foot shank in section. Fig. 3 is a'disassembled perspective view of constituent parts of the hemmer in the same embodiment thereof as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged cross-section of the hemmer-scroll on substantially the line 4+4, Fig.

2, and including a corresponding cross-section of the work. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section, similar to Fig. 4, but taken on substantially the line 55, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged cross-section of the completed hem as delivered to the needle. Fig. '7 is a top-plan view' of a portion of a sewing machine throat-plate and of the improved hemmer in a modified form. Fig. 8 is a disassembled perspective view of constituent Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a sewing machine throat-plate preferably employed in connection with the modified hemmer.

The hemmer illustrated in Figs.,1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings is shown as applied to a sewing machine having a cloth-plate I upon which is suitably secured a throat-plate 2 provided with an aperture 3 for a vertically reciprocatory needle 4. A work-advancing feed-dog 5, of the lower four-motion type, operates through a slot 6 in the throat-plate 2, and yieldingly opposed to said feed-dog is a presser-foot I having its workengaging face provided with a groove 8 extending in the direction of feed in the seam line. The presser-foot is disposed entirely rearward of the path of needle-reciprocation and has its front edge or toe I vertically inclined to serve as a needle-guide.

The attachment comprises a base-plate 9 secured upon the cloth-plate I by screws I passing through a slot II formed in said base-plate to provide for adjustment of the hemmer crosswise of the line of seam formation. Carried by the base-plate 9 is a hemmer having a work-supporting apron I2 curving into a primary scroll constituted by an upturned outer fold-edge forming wall I3 merging into a roof portion I4, from which depends a downwardly curving inner foldedge forming wall I terminating in a marginaledge supporting wall having its free edge I6 underlying and directed upwardly toward the roof portion. The roof portion I4 of the scroll, together with its inner fold-edge forming wall I5, is cut away in advance of the delivery end of the hemmer. leaving a concave upstanding flange I! as a continuation of the wall I3.

Replacing the cut-away portion of the hemmer-scroll is a supplementary scroll having a substantially fiat overhanging wall I8 extending across the upper edge of the flange I1 and then curving downwardly and inwardly to provide an inner-fold indenting lip I9. The lip I9 extends from the cut-away end 20 of the wall I5 to the delivery-end of the hemmer below and in spaced relation to the wall I8, said lip having its free edge opposed to and gradually approaching the flange I1 from the cut-away end 20 of the wall I5 toward the delivery-end of the hemmer. Furthermore, the free end of the lip I9 preferably curls slightly upwardly.

' The described supplementary scroll extends laterally from a supporting shank 2| secured, by screws 22 and 23, upon the base-plate 9 adjacent to the primary scroll wall I3, the aperture in the shank-2I for the screw 23 being enlarged to provide for a slight adjustment of the supplementary scroll crosswise of the line of scam formation, whereby the size of the hem cavity at the deliveryend of the hemmer may be adjustably restricted to meet requirements.

- As will be observed from Fig. 4 of the drawings, the primary hemmer-scroll serves to roll the margin of a body material M to form a complete hem, the concave wall I3 forming the outer fold-edge M of the hem and the wall I5 forming the inner fold-edge M of the hem. Beyond the cut-away end 20 of the primary scroll, the inner fold-edge M of the hem is engaged by and gradually indented by the lip I9 of the supplementary scroll, said lip l9 being so spaced from the wall l8 that the slightly upwardly curled edge of said lip crowds the lower portion of the indented hemfold inwardly toward the flange II, leaving the wider upper portion or final inner fold-edge M of the hem to overhang and extend beyond the indented portion at the body material side of the hem. When delivered to the needle 4 in this fashion, the needle penetrates only the three plies comprising the fold M and the layer of bodymaterial M, while a greater number of plies are disposed within the hem.

The described arrangement of the presser-foot 7 serves to properly hold the hem delivered by the hemmer until penetrated by the needle, while the groove 8 of the presser-foot afiords the necessary guiding clearance for the hem which, when secured by stitches, presents a narrow bead-like appearance, as will be readily understood.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, the attachment comprises a baseplate 24 carrying a hemmer having a worksupporting apron 25 merging into the upturned wall of a primary scroll 26. A supplementary scroll 2'! adjustably secured to the base-plate 24 coacts with the primary scroll 26 to form a constricted delivery-end functioning to indent the inner foldedge of a hem as in the previously described hemmer attachment.

The work-supporting apron 25 is cut away so that the delivery-end of the complete hemmerscroll extends beyond said apron. Replacing in part the cut-away portion of the apron 25 to underlie the delivery-end of the scroll is a flat spring-tongue 28 which is normally substantially coplanar with the apron, said spring-tongue extending from the base-plate 24 and being disposed in a corresponding recess therein so that the free end of the tongue, extending across to underlie the delivery-end of the hemmer, may yield in a direction substantially normal to the work-supporting face of the tongue. It will therefore be understood that the work-supporting apron comprises a primary section 25 integral with the primary hemmer-scroll 26 and an auxiliary section 28 which yieldingly underlies the deliveryend of the hemmer-scroll to thereby provide for the passing of cross-seams and the like in the indented hem-fold through the constricted delivery-end of the hemmer-scroll.

In connection with the modified form of hemmer, it is preferred to employ a throat-plate 29, having the usual needle-aperture 30 and feed-slot 3|, and provided with a recess 32 in its upper face to aiford clearance for yielding movements of the spring-tongue 28.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

l. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising guiding walls arranged to fold a margin of a body material and to inturn the edge of the folded margin to thereby form a hem having outer and inner fold-edges, and means for longitudinally indenting the inner fold-edge of the hem formed by said guiding walls.

2. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising a scroll having guiding walls arranged to fold a margin of a body material and to inturn the edge of the folded margin to thereby form a hem having outer and inner fold-edges, and a lip separable from said scroll and arranged to longitudinally indent the inner fold-edge of the hem formed by said guiding walls.

3. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising guiding walls arranged to fold. a margin of a body material and to inturn the edge of the folded margin to thereby form a hem having outer and inner fold-edges, a lip arranged to longitudinally indent the inner fold-edge of said hem, and supporting means providing for adjustment of said lip crosswise of said inner foldedge.

4. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising a primary scroll having guiding walls arranged to fold a margin of a body material and to inturn the edge of the folded margin to thereby deliver a formed hem having outer and inner fold-edges, and a supplementary scroll disposed at the delivery "end of said primary scroll and having a lip adapted to engage and longitudinally indent the inner fold-edge of said hem.

5. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising a primary edge-turning scroll constricted toward its delivery end and including an upturned outer fold-edge forming wall merging into a roof portion from which depends an inner fold-edge forming wall, said roof portion and inner fold-edge forming wall terminating in advance of the delivery end of said upturned outer fold-edge forming wall, and a supplementary scroll disposed to coact with said upturned wall at the delivery end thereof, said supplementary scroll having a lip arranged to longitudinally indent the inner fold-edge of the hem formed by said primary scroll.

6. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising a base-plate, a primary edge-turning scroll constricted toward its delivery end and including an upturned outer fold-edge forming wall merging into a roof portion from which depends an inner fold-edge forming wall, said roof portion and inner fold-edge forming wall terminating in advance of the delivery end of said upturned outer fold-edge forming wall, a supplementary scroll overhanging said upturned wall at the delivery end thereof and provided with a lip arranged to longitudinally indent the inner fold-edge of the hem formed by said primary scroll, and means for securing said supplementary scroll upon said base-plate for adjustment of said lip toward and from said upturned wall.

'7. A hemmer attachment for sewing machines, comprising a scroll having guiding walls arranged to fold a margin of a body material and to inturn the edge of the folded margin to thereby form a hem having outer and inner fold-edges, and means for longitudinally indenting the inner fold-edge of the hem on a line forming a final inner fold-edge overhanging the indented foldedge.

JAMES E. ACKERMAN. 

